Two arms of the country's executive - the judiciary and the legislature - went to "war" on Sunday, and it was not in the Red House or the Hall of Justice.At the end of the day when the dust had cleared and the dusk had settled around the National Cricket Centre in Couva, judges had bested Parliamentarians in hardball. But MPs had kicked the judiciary's collective body in windball.
The cricket match, organised by the T&T Parliament, is an annual affair which brings out the- sporting- best on all sides, and the spirit of camaraderie was high on Sunday as House Speaker Wade Mark played host.Opposition PNMites Keith Rowley, Colm Imbert, Lester Henry, Fitzgerald Hinds and Eddie Hart were part of the Parliamentarians' team.The PNMites were alongside Government's Roodal Moonilal, Anil Roberts, Vasant Bharath, Tim Gopeesingh, Rudy Indarsingh, Colin Partap, Jairam Seemungal, Wasa CEO Ganga Singh and former MP Manohar Ramsaran.The side included three sport ministers past and present-Ramsaran, Hart and present Roberts.
The judiciary's side, headed by Chief Justice Ivor Archie, included judges Vashist Kokaram, James Aboud, Lucina Cardenas-Ragunanan and others.Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar congratulated Opposition Leader Rowley among her "team" members. PNM's Rowley and PP's Roberts "high fived" each other after being successful with one ball.Prizes for performance went to several judges including Kokaram, Aboud, Ragunanan as well as PNM's Lester Henry, PP's Bharath and other MPs.Attending the event among various PP executive and other officials were former speaker Barendra Sinanan and former Senate President Dr Linda Baboolal.